With the two successful trial runs earlier this month, the first phase of the Seawoods-Uran railway line project is likely to commence from December this year. Officials from the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) said a trial run was conducted successfully last week, while another had been carried out around three weeks ago.

“The trial run was conducted using the LMV railway car. Frequent trials will continue till the commencement of services from Seawoods to Kharkopar in the first phase, and even after that. This is to ensure that tracks are fit for running the services,” said a CIDCO official. The official said the line will improve the connectivity of Navi Mumbai with the extended suburbs. In February, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had given a deadline to CIDCO to complete the first phase of the Seawoods-Uran railway line by December. Subsequently, the CIDCO decided to skip the construction of Sagarsangam station, among the four proposed, to meet the deadline. The other stations on the line are Seawoods, Targhar, Bamandongri, Kharkopar, Gavan, Ranjanpada, Nhavasheva, Dronagiri and Uran. The Rs 1,782-crore project is also likely to boost the real estate sector and commercial development of areas such as Ulwe and Bamandongri.

Officials said the construction of Targhar station, which is close to the Navi Mumbai International Airport ( NMIA), will help passengers get immediate connectivity after flights.

The project is facing issues such as land clearance and permission from forest authorities for the stretch beyond Kharkopar, but they are being dealt with, the official added.